Joseph f



(No Model.) I

J. F. SLEEPER & J. P. MILLER.

ART OFMANUPAGTURING STOCKINGS. No. 415,579. Patented Nov. 19,1889.

N. PETERS. Phcm-Lilhqgn her, Wnhi nnnnnn C4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. SLEEPER AND JOHN P. MILLER, OF LACONIA, NElV HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNORS TO FRANK P. HOLT, OF SAME PLACE.

ART OF MANUFACTURING STOCKINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,519, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed April 29, 1889. Serial No. 308,942- (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH F. SLEEPER and JOHN P. MILLER, of Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Man ufacturing Stockings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to stockings generally, and particularly to that class of stockings having French fashioned feet, it being the object of our improvements to produce a stocking which shall have a seamless leg, a fashioned and practically seamless heel, and a fashioned French t'oot.

To this end our invention consists of the improvement in the art of manufacturing stockin embracing in the mode of procedure the following-recited steps: first, knitting the leg portion of the stockings as acircular seamless web down to the pointwherethe prod uc' tion of the heel and foot portion is to be commenced, then picking a number of stitehesof the leg-web sufficient to form a heel upon the needles and knitting a fashioned heel, then picking the remainder of the stitches of the leg-web uponneedles and bringingii'ito requisition an additional number of needles sufficient to form the foot as a single flat web and knitting the foot portion, fashioning or narrowing to form a gusset at the instep-point and narrowing or fashioning to form the toe portion, and finally uniting the forward edge of theheel to the rearward edges of foot portion, and likewise uniting the lower or outer edges of the foot-web, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters and figures indicating the same parts, of which drawings Figure l is a side View of the lower portion of a stocking made in accordance with our improved process. Fig. 2 is a side View of the foot and lower leg portion before the forward edges of the heel are looped to the rear edges of the foot portion. Fig. 3 is a front view of the stocking after the completion of the knitting and before the free edges of the heel and foot have been looped together or bular web for the leg portion cl of the stocking,

varying the length of the stitches in the parts designed to form the calf and ankle portions,

if desired, or otherwise varying the diameter of the tube or knitting it of the same diameter throughout. \V'e then pick the loops or stitches at one end of the tubesay from the point 2 around the rear to a corresponding point on the opposite sideupon the needles of a machine adapted for the production of a fashioned .h eel, and knit the latter, preferably transferring stitches inward from the edges, so as to narrow along the lines 1). \Ve then pick the loops at the lower edge of the leg portion from the point 2 around in front to a corresponding point on the opposite side upon the needles of a suitable machine and bring into operation additional needles at the ends of the row holding the lastanentioned picked on loops, so as to commence the knitting of a web, as along the line (Z d, Fig. 3, and knit a web for the foot portion 6, transferring the stitches inward, so as to form narrowing-s along the lines f, Figs. 1 and 2, or g, Fig. 4, as maybe suggested by taste or convenience, then knitting the foot portion 6 as a straight flat web to the toe h, where we effect narrowings to properly shape the toe, preferring to employ box narrowings, as at i \Ve then, and finally, fold the web forming the foot portion 6, uniting the edges j j in any suitable manner, and likewise joining the rear edges 7c of the foot portion to the forward edges Z of the heel, uniting the cast-oif loops at the lower edges of the heel, as at c,con1- pleting the stocking, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The loops cast off at the point m of the toe may be joined by crochet-ing or otherwise united.

It is obvious that slight changes may be made in the described mode of procedure J without departing from the nature or spirit of our invention. For example, the narrowings along the lines f or g, whereby a gusset is formed for the instep, may be omitted, and the heel may be given the common round or bulge form or other suitable shape. Again, the foot portion 6 may be knitted before the heel is formed, and the order in Which the edges are looped together or united may also be varied.

Having thus described our invention, We declare that What We claim is The improvement in the art of manufacturing stockings consisting of knitting the leg portion of the stocking as a circular seamless Web down to the point Where the heel and foot portion is to be commenced, then picking a number of stitches of the leg-Web sufficient to form a heel upon the needles, then knitting a fashioned heel, then picking the remainder of the stitches of the lower edge of the leg- Web upon needles and bringing into requisi- 

